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15. THERMOBAROMETRIC CALCULATION OF PEAK METAMORPHIC CONDITIONS OF THE SULLIVAN DEPOSIT Glen R. De Paoli1 and David R.M. Pattison2 1 2739 4th Ave N.W., Calgary, Alberta T2N 0P9 2 Department of Geology and Geophysics, The University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4 ABSTRACT The Sullivan Zn-Pb-Ag mine in southeastern British Columbia is a mid-Proterozoic sedimentary exhalative deposit that has been metamorphosed to transitional greenschist-amphibolite grade. The mineral textures are predominantly of metamorphic origin. There are no significant differences in silicate mineral compositions between sulphide-rich litholo- gies and silicate-rich lithologies. High modal abundance of Mn-rich garnet in some rocks indicates a Mn-rich phase was likely part of the pre-metamorphic mineral assemblage. Metamorphic conditions were estimated using multi-equi- librium thermobarometric techniques involving silicate-carbonate equilibria. Peak metamorphic temperature estimated by the garnet-biotite Fe-Mg exchange equilibrium is 450oC ± 50oC. Lower temperature estimates from some samples are interpreted to record the temperature of cessation of garnet growth prior to the attainment of peak metamorphic tem- perature. Peak metamorphic pressure determined from equilibria applicable to the assemblage garnet-biotite-mus- covite-chlorite-calcite-quartz-fluid is 380 MPa ± 100 MPa (equivalent to approximately 14 km of burial). The fluid composition accompanying this pressure estimate is XH2O = 0.38, XCO2 = 0.62 ± 0.07. The P-T estimates are con- sistent with burial metamorphism during Proterozoic times. INTRODUCTION PETROGRAPHY The Sullivan mine, in southeastern British Columbia, is a Samples were classified into three rock types on the basis of sedimentary exhalative Zn-Pb-Ag orebody which was bulk mineralogy: silicate matrix rocks, sulphide matrix deposited in mid-Proterozoic times. Regional metamorphic rocks, and amphibolite. None of the samples used for P- grade in the vicinity of the orebody is greenschist facies T-X estimates shows any textural or compositional evidence (biotite-chlorite), but amphibolite grade areas containing of retrograde alteration. Localized retrograde alteration is garnet and sillimanite occur in the Mathew Creek area found in the southeast section of the orebody (Ethier et al., approximately 10 km to the southwest (Leech, 1962; 1976; Campbell and Ethier, 1983). Mineralogical evidence McFarlane and Pattison, 2000; Fig. 15-1). The deposit itself includes: chloritized biotite; biotite with compositional zon- is anomalous with respect to the immediately surrounding ing; stilpnomelane overgrowths on sulphides and silicates; rocks in that it contains abundant metamorphic garnet. hematite staining; and poikilitic magnetite grains enclosing Many characteristics of the deposit have been affected by pyrite. the metamorphism, including fluid inclusions, stable iso- topes, and the textures and mineralogy of the ore, gangue, Silicate matrix rocks and pre-metamorphic hydrothermal alteration zones. An Silicate matrix rocks are represented by the ‘waste beds’ important step in understanding the effects of a metamorphic (sulphide poor siliciclastic interbeds) within the bedded ore overprint is a well-constrained estimate of metamorphic and contain less than 10% sulphides. The overall mineral temperature, pressure, and fluid composition (P-T-X). assemblage is Qtz + Ms ± Bt ± Chl ± Grt ± Pl ± Cal, with Po Previous estimates of metamorphic conditions for the ± Py ± Sph ± Gn. Sullivan deposit are summarized in Table 15-1. Until this study, no attempt has been made to estimate metamorphic Porphyroblasts conditions using the techniques of multi-equilibrium ther- Porphyroblasts in silicate matrix rocks include garnet, mobarometry applied to the silicate-carbonate minerals in biotite, chlorite, and calcite. In some samples, distinguish- the orebody. An estimate by these methods has the advan- ing between porphyroblasts and matrix was not feasible due tage of determining temperature, pressure, and fluid compo- to uniformity of grain size. Garnet is found in most samples sition simultaneously. Some of the information in this con- and its abundance and grain size is approximately propor- tribution is presented in detail in De Paoli and Pattison tional to sulphide abundance. Garnets range from 0.1 to 1.0 (1995). Mineral abbreviations are given in Table 15-2. mm in diameter and occur as isolated idiomorphic grains Sample locations are given in Figure 15-2. with inclusion-rich cores, and as aggregates of poikiloblastic grains rimming pyrrhotite laths (Fig. 15-3a). Garnet inclu- sions include quartz, calcite, chlorite, and pyrrhotite. Biotite and chlorite porphyroblasts occur as randomly oriented idiomorphic grains up to 1.0 mm across. Calcite is rare De Paoli, G.R. and Pattison, D.R.M. 2000: Thermobarometric Calculation of Peak Metamorphic Conditions of the Sullivan Deposit; in The Geological Environment of the Sullivan Deposit, British Columbia, (ed. J.W. Lydon, J.F. Slack, T. Höy and M.E. Knapp; Geological Association of Canada, Mineral Deposits Division, MDD Specal Volume No. 1, p. G.R. De Paoli and D.R.M. Pattison .................. .................. .... ..... Figure 15-2. Outline of the Sullivan orebody showing sample loca- tions. Samples DS-47, DS-85, and UCG-84 are from bedded ore on the eastern margin of the deposit, but their exact locations are uncertain. ± Py ± Grt ± Bt ± Ms ± Qtz ± Chl ± Cal. Differentiation of matrix vs. porphyroblasts was not always possible due to complex sulphide mineral textures and the broad range in size of both the sulphide and silicate minerals. Sulphide Minerals The major sulphide minerals include pyrrhotite, spha- Figure 15-1. Simplified geological map of the Sullivan Mine Region lerite, galena (± boulangerite), and minor pyrite. The sul- (Leech, 1957, 1962; Reesor, 1973; Höy, 1993; Höy et al, 1995; Read et al. 1991). phide minerals show the following varieties: anhedral equigranular pyrrhotite, galena, and sphalerite; massive among the silicate matrix samples examined (2 out of 9 sam- pyrrhotite or sphalerite containing small anhedral blebs of ples, with 9 and 3 mode % calcite respectively). In places sphalerite, pyrrhotite, or galena; and a crudely banded tex- where it was found, it ranges from matrix size to 0.5 mm, ture of anhedral pyrrhotite, sphalerite, and galena. Pyrite with the larger grains commonly rimming pyrrhotite laths. usually exhibits a euhedral, porphyroblastic texture. Matrix Silicate and Carbonate Minerals The matrix is composed of roughly equal amounts of fine- Silicate and carbonate minerals in sulphide matrix rocks grained (10 to 50 µm) quartz and muscovite. In some rocks, include quartz, muscovite, garnet, biotite, and chlorite, and biotite and chlorite are fine-grained enough to be considered carbonate minerals with varying amounts of Ca, Fe, Mg, and matrix rather than porphyroblasts. Many quartz grains show Mn (see Mineral Chemistry section below). Silicate and undulose extinction and annealed textures. Plagioclase, pos- carbonate minerals tend to be coarser-grained and less euhe- sibly peristerite, (see Mineral Chemistry section below) was dral than in silicate matrix rocks. Carbonate minerals are identified in the matrix of one sample with the electron more abundant than in silicate matrix rocks (2 of three sam- microprobe. Accessory minerals include sulphides (mostly ples with 10 mode % carbonate in each compared to values pyrrhotite laths oriented parallel to bedding), titanite, apatite, given above for silicate matrix rocks). Quartz and carbonate and zircon. are generally anhedral. Larger and more euhedral garnet, biotite, muscovite, and chlorite porphyroblasts reach 2 mm Sulphide Matrix Rocks in size. Garnet-rich laminae are commonly found at the con- tact between sulphide-rich and silicate-rich bands (Fig. 15- Sulphide matrix rocks include samples from the sulphide- 3b). rich layers in the bedded ore and contain > 40% sulphide minerals. The overall mineral assemblage is Po ± Sph ± Gn 216 Thermobarometric Calculation of Peak Metamorphic Conditions Table 15-1. Previous estimates of metamorphic conditions The virtual absence of analyses between an3 and an13 sug- for the Sullivan Orebody. gests the presence of peristerite. Peristerite is plagioclase in method temperature pressure reference o which albitic and more intermediate (more Ca-rich) plagio- ( C) (MPa) clase coexist, with exact compositions controlled by a pres- oxygen isotope fractionation 400 - 560 Ethier et al. (1976) o between quartz and magnetite sure-temperature sensitive solvus. However, at 450 C and sulphur isotope fractionation 300 - 340 Ethier et al. (1976) 380 MPa (the preferred P-T estimate, see P-T-X Estimate between sphalerite and galena section below) the peristerite gap spans approximately an3 to arsenopyrite geothermometer 400 - 490 Ethier et al. (1976) an20, not an3 to an13 (Crawford, 1966; Maruyama et al. (Kretschmar and Scott, 1976) 1982). The possibility exists that the plagioclase composi- sphalerite geobarometer 500 Ethier et al. (1976) (Scott, 1973) tions may represent not only metamorphic peristerite, but also fluid inclusions in quartz 200 - 415 Leitch (1992) relict igneous compositions and albite, the latter related to sphalerite geobarometer 375 450 Lydon and Reardon pre-metamorphic hydrothermal alteration. Interpretation of (Toulmin et al. 1991) (2000) the significance of the compositional gap with respect to metamorphic temperature and pressure requires reliable